This year, we had no shortage of inspiration for a scary Halloween video. Between the natural disasters, global pandemic, murder hornets, and our overall stress levels, there was a lot to work with. However, we also had to operate with a very small crew, with everyone’s safety as the very first priority. Some of our ideas were just unworkable with COVID-19 protocols. Here’s what we came up with, and how we pulled it off. 228 Days LaterFor those keeping track, Halloween falls roughly 228 days after life in the US was upended by the global pandemic. Before we go behind the scenes, watch the frightening final cut below: The ConceptWe ran through a lot of different ideas before arriving at our winning concept. This year has felt particularly apocalyptic, so at first, we explored themes around natural disasters and zombies. However, we quickly realized those plots would’ve required quite a few extras, make-up artists, and more crew members to pull off the way we wanted. In order to keep our shoot as safe as possible, we needed to come up with a script that didn’t require as many people in front of or behind the camera. Enter the ultimate villain. After trying to come up with a different evil character for our heroine to fight, we realized nothing is scarier than 2020. After all, our lives are still in upheaval, and the year isn’t even over yet. We also thought it would be really satisfying to see someone square up to this particular evil-doer and fight back. The ScriptOnce we had a concept, the script came together fairly quickly. We only planned one spoken line of dialogue since we mainly needed to build up suspense until the big reveal of our villain. We decided to use the spacious house to maximum effect. Our heroine wanders the halls and peeks through a seemingly disordered array of rooms as the threat becomes more tangible. The pinnacle of the storyline is the confrontation with the source of all the horror. The abject terror in her eyes says it all: this year is the actual worst. As it turns out, you can run, but you can’t hide from 2020. The final scene is a classic, 80’s-inspired shot of the heroine facing up to this awful year with everything she’s got. The ShootIn order to create the right atmosphere, we needed a dark set. While there are other solutions, the easiest option is usually to shoot at night. We planned two night shoots to capture all the footage. While night shoots are tough because of the hours, you wind up with plenty of time to prepare before the camera rolls. If you’re diligent, they tend to be pretty efficient. Night one, we tackled most of the b-roll and atmospheric shots. This approach allowed us to more meticulously plan the action scenes for night two. Leading up to the first night, we staged rooms, charged batteries, and set up lighting equipment. For night two, we worked on props and put the final touches on certain rooms where action would be unfolding. On both nights, when the sun went down, we were ready to film. Tradeoffs On SetSince we were operating with a really bare bones crew, we had to make certain tradeoffs. Nick LaClair, the creative director at SproutVideo, was our director, camera operator, and art department. Brandon Ivey handled lighting and sound, and Alexandra Riley Morton was our lead actress. For the scale of the shoot and the amount of equipment we were using, you would typically have at least three assistants. Ideally, one person would be focused on audio, with another on lighting, and another would handle props, costumes, and staging. However, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, we decided to make do with a smaller crew. This meant on-set audio would be harder to capture, but that fit with our concept since we only had one line of dialogue. It also meant that while we had wanted to craft a physical representation of 2020 to use as our villain, it wasn’t feasible. With our team already stretched so thin, there wasn’t anyone to act with a 2020 prop beyond casting ominous shadows on a wall. Instead, we decided to create the monster in post-production, which often feels like a gamble. In this case, we think it paid off. EquipmentConsidering the size of our crew, we had to keep our equipment equally as efficient. Here’s what we used on set:
The anamorphic lens imbued our footage with a cinematic quality to give it a more classic horror movie look. It’s subtle, but it’s apparent in the level of background blur and oval-shaped bokeh in the shots. With such a small team, much of our equipment had to be used remotely. The camera was hooked up to a wireless monitor so Nick could keep an eye on it from a distance. Similarly, the RGB LED panels were controlled with a smartphone app, which meant less running around to adjust the lighting. Lighting DesignSince our villain was figurative, and would only be added with CGI in post-production, we used a red light to represent it on our shoot. This enabled us to set up some strong visual contrasts from start to finish. We used warm, ambient lighting for the opening scene. As it becomes apparent that all might not be well, our actress leaves the well-lit kitchen for darker areas of the house. When she finally encounters the evil villain, red light washes over her face for a classic horror movie scare. The big Dracast light was used to illuminate outdoor shots, and to cast the shadow of 2020 on the wall. The RGB LED panels (seen above behind Nick) served as our monster because we were able to program an automatic on-off cycle for one light, with the other left on a constant glow, and control both remotely. The fresnels were mainly used to tweak background lighting within the house (also shown above, highlighting the pool table). For more tips on lighting a scary scene, check out our guide to classic horror movie lighting. Post ProductionBeyond the basics of editing and color grading, we had to create a monster to represent the year 2020 with CGI. Sara Greene, SproutVideo’s marketing designer and After Effects whiz, had this to say about how it came together:
Sound Design and Music ScoreWithout a dedicated person to capture sound on set, we wound up recording some noises after the fact. For instance, the zipper, wine bottle, door slamming, typing, bag dropping on the counter, and general room ambience were all captured after filming wrapped. Ideally, we would’ve placed a lav microphone on Alexandra when she was running through the woods. Again, facing limitations in crew size, we chose to use a handheld boom for those shots. We also used a boom on a pole for a majority of the rest of the shots in the house, with the exception of the hallway walking scenes, where we were able to use a lav. To learn when to use each type of microphone, check out our guide to the three essential microphone setups. Terrifying TunesPicking the right music was incredibly important. With practically no dialogue, we knew we’d have to use music to transport our viewers and create tension. Just like the lighting, the music helps transition viewers through the different stages of the film. We open with a warm, eclectic vibe, but quickly spoil the mood with some unrecognizable sounds. As they get louder, the upbeat music fades, and our actress investigates. As she gets closer to the source, we shift to much more dramatic music and louder monster sounds. Finally, when she retreats to the garage, we shift the mood with a big change in the score to signal her determination to face her fears. By mapping your music choice to the emotions you want your audience to experience, you can help transport them along on your journey. We loved watching this idea come to life, and hope you enjoyed it too. Do you have any special video tricks or treats up your sleeve for Halloween this year? Any horror movie film techniques you’d like to explore? Share your thoughts in the comments below! The post 228 Days Later: Behind the Scenes appeared first on SproutVideo. from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/halloween-2020-behind-the-scenes.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/633155208348844032 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2020/10/228-days-later-behind-scenes.html
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First of all let’s discuss why you would want to invest in spain, whats the pros, what’s the cons if any and then what properties are available to you and for what budget. After the recovery of the financial 2008 crisis, Spain has recovered significantly and is one of the most popular countries for Eu […] The post Investments in Spain, and Why You Should Buy Now… appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/26/investments-in-spain-and-why-you-should-buy-now/ When buying a new car for either yourself or for your family, it’s important not to dismiss the option of buying a used car. This is because there are many different benefits to buying used that you may not have been aware of. Used cars can get a bad reputation due to how some buyers […] The post Benefits of Buying a Used Car You Wouldn’t Believe appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/23/benefits-of-buying-a-used-car-you-wouldnt-believe/ School counselors are essential members of the education team. They provide students with valuable support in all areas of their lives including academic achievement, personal development, and long-term career success. School counselors have a positive impact on society by ensuring that students are happy, productive, and able to transition into well-adjusted adults. For those reasons, […] The post Top 8 Reasons to Train as a School Counselor appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/23/top-8-reasons-to-train-as-a-school-counselor/ (Photo Credit: Blogger Startup By golubovystock on Shutterstock)For many companies, it’s hard to come up with alternatives to in-person events that are just as effective for marketing. It’s really tough to replace the human connection and excitement that naturally comes with meeting people in real life. Live video is quite possibly as close as you can get, and has proven to be a highly engaging and effective solution to scaling events, drumming up excitement, and delivering a message. In this post, we’ll look at four innovative ways brands have leveraged live streaming to replace in-person events. 1. Shoppable Product DemosMany brands are used to holding large events to announce new product features or launches. These events usually generate plenty of buzz, and get potential customers really excited about new features. While it’s hard to replace the energy of a live audience, live video events offer a few advantages. The reach is theoretically unlimited, so you aren’t constrained by venue capacity or location. And you can still gather plenty of direct feedback and generate lots of excitement in different ways. After all, many of the best product-centric events have been incorporating live video for years. The trick is to figure out ways to pull potential customers in and keep them engaged. This past September, Samsung Sweden launched the new Galaxy Z Fold2 5G. They did everything you would do at an in-person event: an unboxing, audience participation, and a Q&A session. The most innovative aspect was that the live stream was shoppable, so consumers did not have to wait to make a purchase while watching. To replicate this on a smaller scale, you’ll first need a plan of action. Check out the breakdown of our first live steam where we demoed our new live streaming capabilities. 2. Live ConferencesVirtual conferences have been on the rise for some time, but engagement has been skyrocketing since they’re now essentially the only option. Online conferences offer some specific advantages over in-person events. You can still run multiple sessions with different speakers, but capturing the insights is much easier. Also, attendees can tune in live, or to the recording when they have time, helping to boost your reach and engagement. Finally, speakers can participate from wherever they happen to be, reducing scheduling conflicts and travel headaches. When location and venue are no longer a factor for the size or length of your conference, you can really start to push some boundaries. While most conferences last less than a week, Social Media Week held a month-long virtual conference series earlier this year. They had over 300 speakers and 150 sessions. If that sounds potentially overwhelming, they gave attendees access to recordings and recaps if they weren’t able to attend live. While you might not have the capacity to hold a month-long virtual conference, embracing the flexible nature of virtual events can lead to new formats and more opportunities to engage participants. 3. Virtual PartyThrowing a party might be the exact thing you need to lighten things up and spread some cheer for your audience as the pandemic continues. Since we went into lockdown, virtual happy hours, board games, and dance parties have skyrocketed. There are plenty of ways to leverage this trend for your own brand. Hormel Foods did just that. During what they called ‘Hormel Foods Spirit Week’, they held a virtual pizza party to celebrate plant workers and staff during the pandemic. Not only did they give out prizes and have special guests, but they also broke a world record for a virtual pizza party. When coming up with your virtual party concept, look for ways to generate excitement and promote audience interaction. From polls to surprise guests, there are many options to get the party started. 4. Behind-the-ScenesGoing live behind-the-scenes has a certain caché, and is an amazing way to share insights or exclusive knowledge with viewers. The beauty of behind-the-scenes content is that it can be applicable to just about any industry. For instance, you could feature interviews with employees, break down marketing videos, show a day in the life of an executive, or reveal part of the manufacturing process. You can get very creative with it. Warner Brothers used behind-the-scenes content to generate new interest in some iconic films. Utilizing a mix of live and prerecorded materials, Warner Brothers created a nostalgic experience that provided a true insider perspective to those watching along. If you’ve been sitting on some archival footage, or have a crazy story to tell about how something came together at the last minute, live video is the perfect way to share. Bonus: Add More Nostalgia With VIPsOne trend we’ve seen during quarantine is live video reunions for some very popular shows. While this might seem like just a fun get-together of old cast members, it can be extremely powerful. Tapping into nostalgia for shows we already watched and loved can generate cravings for that same comfort. Seeing your favorite stars from shows like Parks and Recreation, Community, and Happy Endings and more, will definitely entice you to go back and rewatch those series. Along with driving views, many of these virtual get-togethers were for charity or spreading positive messages during an uncertain time. Look for authentic tie-ins for your brand, and use nostalgia to give your audience something to smile about. Live video is going to continue to gain traction as more and more businesses find successful strategies for implementing it. There’s no time like the present to start experimenting to see what works for your audience. Let us know in the comments below which strategies you’ll be trying, or if you’ve found any other unique ways of using live video. The post 4 Innovative Ways Brands are Using Live Streaming appeared first on SproutVideo. from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/4-innovative-ways-brands-are-using-live-streaming.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/632713553763319809 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2020/10/4-innovative-ways-brands-are-using-live.html Maybe you’ve been at it for a while, or maybe a newly remote workforce inspired the C-suite to take on more rigorous internal communications. Either way, creating a workable editorial calendar for executive communications is an important undertaking that will support your company’s culture and growth over time. Whether you’re adding video to the mix, or building internal communications from scratch, video will greatly enhance your strategy. By adding personality and nuance, video is a highly effective tool for getting a message across. From branding to employee engagement, video is key to delivering results with internal comms. So, what should that executive editorial calendar look like? While we don’t believe it’s one-size fits all, these eight best practices will get you started on the right foot. 1. Set Clear GoalsYou can achieve many different aims with executive communications. Whether you’re looking to promote transparency, align teams with your mission, or share timely reactions to current events, it’s important to be specific when defining your goals. Your company’s needs will be driven by company culture, the nature of the industry you’re in, and your teams’ specific needs for information. In all likelihood, your communications program will be fairly unique, even when compared to your peers. 2. Design Your CampaignsYes, we said campaigns, not just content. That’s because one-off videos shared periodically throughout the year are unlikely to move the needle. If you make a concerted effort to develop a series of videos to support different outcomes, you’re much more likely to get your message across to employees. Also, the more video you make, in many ways, the easier it becomes. The first video is almost always the hardest to make. To build your editorial calendar, you’ll want to draw from multiple sources. There are external factors, like current events, holidays, and industry-related events. Then, there are all the internal milestones, reporting periods, and strategic or cultural initiatives to take into account. First, add all the foreseeable items with relatively fixed dates. Items like an annual report, conferences, or quarterly company-wide meetings are unlikely to shift on the schedule. Then, layer in different initiatives, campaigns, and other more variable projects. By first getting a sense of your fixed deliverables, you’ll have a better picture of your workload, and can avoid going overboard with your messaging. 3. Plan and Budget Your ContentOnce you’ve got a sense of your priorities for the year, it’s time to figure out the types of productions you’ll need, and what they’re likely to cost you. Most of your content will be split into two buckets: evergreen, and timely. Evergreen ContentEvergreen content refers to video messaging that can be referenced again and again, and provides value for an extended period of time. Examples include new hire welcome videos, training videos, and videos designed to uphold company culture. Typically, evergreen videos are worth investing in because of their desired longevity. Higher production value will help prolong their shelf-life. Whether you can handle it in-house, or need to enlist a studio, these videos will require a fair amount of planning and time to get right. Timely ContentTimely content is reactionary, and gives executives a chance to deliver a message to employees at a crucial moment. While you might automatically equate timely content with reactions to events in the news, this category would also include videos or live streams that address things with short term value, like quarterly reports or most company updates. For items that you can plan in advance, having a formula will make production more efficient. Figure out which shots you’ll need, and which assets (like charts or graphics), as well as who will be featured in the video. For truly off-the-cuff videos, keeping production simple will ensure a speedy turnaround time. For instance, have the executive face a window for diffuse, flattering light, and get a microphone as close as possible for clear audio. That’s about it! If you have the equipment on hand, you can be set up to film in a matter of minutes. 4. Production ScheduleEach video should have a pre-production phase (planning), the production itself, post-production (editing), and finally, review and approval. The more accurately you can map out these phases, the more smoothly your shoots will run. Based on the types of content you have planned, you should start to get a clear picture of your production needs. Evergreen content will likely require more time and effort for ideation, scripting, casting (yes, even employees and executives require casting), scouting, prop sourcing, filming, and of course editing. Timely content should require a lighter touch in terms of production. For instance, some may not be scripted, and the editing required will not be very involved. For both types of video, there is likely to be a review and approval process. Depending on the nature of the content or your industry, this could be lengthy and could become an obstacle to delivering your message on time. Try to get buy-in from stakeholders early and often in the process, and ensure comms guidelines are clear to minimize this risk. When scheduling productions, consider whether you can bunch certain shoots together. Also, look for opportunities to capture b-roll outside of formal productions. For instance, if an executive is speaking at an event, you might be able to use the footage as b-roll. 5. Release CadenceThe right release cadence for your content depends on the types of internal comms you are delivering. Some campaigns might require weekly or even daily updates, while others will occur far less often. For instance, in a time of crisis, your team might benefit from daily updates from executives. During the course of regular business, they’re unlikely to have the same information needs. Most companies probably don’t do enough for internal comms. Data from Simpplr shows “two-thirds of leaders aren’t communicating about vision and strategy more frequently than once a quarter”. Surely there’s more to say about it than that? The key is to strike a balance between establishing your comms program as a useful resource for employees, and bombarding them with lots of content. If your messaging is overwhelming, people will tune out. If it’s too sparse, it’s unlikely to provide a tangible benefit. 6. Secure SharingWhile some executive communications can be shared outside the company, certain videos will be for employees only. You can easily control access to your videos with SproutVideo’s privacy tools. For instance, you can embed videos securely in an intranet using a domain whitelist. The embed code will not load if it’s copied to a website that isn’t included in your whitelist. If you can’t easily embed content in your intranet, or don’t have one, a secure video portal for employees makes it easy to create a destination for your content. With password protection, viewer logins, or more advanced options, like IP address restriction or single sign-on, SproutVideo’s websites are an easy way to share your executive communications with the team. 7. Audience InteractionsExecutive communications are not always a one-way street. It can be vitally important to gather employee feedback. Enabling commenting on your videos and live streams is an engaging way to encourage employees to share their thoughts. It’s also a nice option because someone else can moderate the comments, while the person presenting focuses on their material. Other alternatives include adding a survey at the end of the video or live stream with a custom post play screen, or linking to a survey during playback using an in-player call-to-action. 8. Track PerformanceAfter going to all this effort, naturally, you’ll want to be sure you’re having a measurable impact. That’s where viewer engagement tracking comes in. Depending on how you’re sharing your videos, you should be able to track viewers by their email address. This is possible whether you’re sharing your videos on an intranet, or through a SproutVideo website. The viewer’s email address will be reported in engagement metrics. This powerful data shows you exactly how much of your video viewers watch, rewatch, or skip. That way, you will know whether your team is engaging with your content or if they’re dropping off at particular points in your videos. Using this data, you can improve your videos over time, and ensure you’re only putting out effective content employees want to watch. Do you use video for executive communications? If so, how has it made an impact? If not, what’s stopping you from getting started? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The post Eight Best Practices for Planning Internal Videos appeared first on SproutVideo. from SproutVideo https://sproutvideo.com/blog/eight-best-practices-planning-internal-videos.html via IFTTT from https://johnsmith0190.tumblr.com/post/631426293727150080 from https://alvindukes.blogspot.com/2020/10/eight-best-practices-for-planning.html Amazon offers the largest online marketplaces in the world. There are many millions of visitors and hundreds of thousand merchants promoting their goods daily. The platform is pretty competitive. Not all sellers survive during their first months. It is why you must be proactive from the very first day and schedule all your marketing activities […] The post Simple Tips for Boosting Sales on Amazon appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/06/simple-tips-for-boosting-sales-on-amazon/ While many people in the business sector are happy in managerial roles, there are others who prefer to be their own boss and run their own company. If this sounds like you, there are tons of reasons why you may want to work for yourself. As a Canadian, you will benefit from trade freedom, low […] The post How to Find Success as an Entrepreneur in Canada appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/06/how-to-find-success-as-an-entrepreneur-in-canada/ Nowadays, everyone knows the importance of creating videos for marketing purposes. However, the problem always comes from making videos that can go viral. So, if you want to create a video that is guaranteed to go viral, here are 10 verified steps you must take: Make It Short And Sweet You must know that humans […] The post How to Make a Video That is Guaranteed to Go Viral With These 10 Verified Steps appeared first on Viral Viral Videos. via Viral Viral Videos https://viralviralvideos.com/2020/10/01/how-to-make-a-video-that-is-guaranteed-to-go-viral-with-these-10-verified-steps/ |
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